Ó CATHASAIGH: RE-OPENING WATERFORD TO ROSSLARE RAIL LINK “MAKES SENSE”

Waterford News & Star

ASSISTANT Government Whip and Waterford TD Marc Ó Cathasaigh (GP) said the restoration of commuter services from Waterford to Rosslare Europort represented a big challenge but one worth pursuing.

Speaking to the Waterford News & Star, Deputy Ó Cathasaigh said such a move “makes sense, particularly in the context of Brexit not only in commuter terms but given the freight possibilities that re-opening the line would create. It’s very much on our agenda and with a Green Minister for Transport along with two Green TDs at either end of the Waterford to Limerick line, which ought to be part of a rail corridor connecting Rosslare to the Mid-West and West, let’s see what we can do.”

Referring to the ‘Rail, Sail & Trail’ proposal included in the Programme for Government, Marc Ó Cathasaigh said that enhancing and availing of the existing line in its totality carried significant tourism potential.

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“Heavy rail infrastructure is too valuable to be replaced by a greenway, particularly in light of Brexit which, taking the Rosslare to Limerick line in its totality, takes two Tier 1 ports, one Tier 2 port, two of our largest cities, one of our largest inland towns along with Shannon and Waterford Airports, they’re all contiguous to that route. As a piece of transport infrastructure, the line is strategically too important to be sacrificed as a greenway.”

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